Easter II- The Good Shepherd- John 10:11

In the traditional Gospel for the Second Sunday after Easter from John 10, our Lord boldly proclaims, “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11). There are two main aspects of Jesus’ claim. 1) Jesus is claiming to be the Messiah- a leader like King David in many ways. 2) By calling Himself the Good Shepherd, Jesus of Nazareth is also moving His claim to a different dimension. Let us notice that Jesus does not merely say “I’m a good shepherd.” He says, “I am the good shepherd.” The “I am” sayings of Jesus in John’s Gospel are reflections of God’s name in Exodus. 

In Scripture, God Himself is the Good Shepherd of Israel, and by identifying Himself this was, Jesus is claiming a unique relationship with God the Father. So in this verse, Jesus is saying that He is both the human Messiah and the divine Son of God. He is the great leader of the chosen people in both ways. 

The Easter season stresses our hope in Christ. Accepting and trusting Jesus Christ as our Good Shepherd highlights Christian hope in a special way. All too often we are like wandering sheep, but we do have a leader, a shepherd, that we can trust. Easter is a celebration and a proclamation of the depth of our Shepherd’s love and of His victorious power. So let us heed Him and have faith in Him. Let us follow where He leads and accept His nourishment for our souls through His Word and Sacraments.

Trinity VII- Feeding the Four Thousand- Mark 8:1-9

Food and eating are common themes in human life and in Holy Scripture. The Gospel for this Seventh Sunday after Trinity is the miracle of Jesus Feeding the Four Thousand from Mark 8:1-9. This account may seem more familiar than it really is because a similar Feeding of the 5000 occurs in all four Gospels. So let us highlight a few details in this account. 

As is the case in many New Testament miracles, we see that our Lord is moved with compassion. Besides having a general concern for human need, Jesus cares for particular people in particular circumstances. The  people in this account have shown interest in Christ's spiritual message and have come out into an unsettled area to hear the Gospel. Any food they brought is gone, and Christ is concerned that they return home safely.

We should also note the location. It happens in the Decapolis, a predominately Gentile region beyond the Sea of Galilee. So the crowd that listens to Jesus is probably a mixture of Jews and Gentiles. While Jesus’ earthly ministry focused on the Jews, this is one of several examples where He also ministers to Gentiles.

In addition to these details, let us highlight two points. Point 1) - This physical miracle has spiritual and symbolic importance. The meal Jesus provides points toward the Messianic kingdom of God. People from various places and backgrounds come together, grow in faith, and are fed by God and His Christ. They are fed from seven loaves, and there are seven baskets of food remaining. Seven is a biblical number representing fullness or completeness. This means that Jesus the Messiah brings fulfillment or completion. Those who follow Him may not always have lavish feasting, but they do receive good, satisfying, and strengthening nourishment.

Point 2) – The miracle of Feeding 4000 teaches us what Jesus Christ continues to do for people from all sorts of backgrounds. He provides us bread from heaven. He Himself is the very bread of life. He provides us the bread that nourishes, strengthens, and satisfies our souls. He meets our deepest needs as spiritual and moral beings. He feeds us through Word and Sacrament. Whenever we are open to His Word in Scripture and His Presence in the Eucharist, He offers us forgiveness, grace, and renewed strength to follow Him. Thanks be to God for His Son Jesus Christ, the living bread from heaven!

Trinity VII- Mark 8:1-9

 The Gospel for the Seventh Sunday after Trinity is from St. Mark 8:1-9. This is one of several gospel accounts of feeding the multitudes (there is similar account in St. Mark 6). In addition to the miracle itself which is a manifestation of Christ's divine power over nature, the story of Christ feeding the 4000 shows us several things about our Lord's earthly mission.  It shows Christ's compassion toward the physical hunger of crowds (8:2). In addition, the setting of this particular feeding is in a Gentile area near Galilee. This fact implies that Christ's compassion extends to all sorts and conditions of humanity.

Furthermore, the context shows that our Lord has a deep concern for spiritual hunger. The people that He feeds physically are those who hunger for His words, His spiritual nourishment. They are people who have followed Jesus out into the countryside and listened to His teachings for three days. They are physically hungry because in the words of the Sermon on the Mount, they "hunger and thirst after righteousness" (Matthew 5:6). So here we see Christ's special mercy for those who seek to follow Him.

Besides telling us about Christ's earthly ministry, our Gospel also teaches us about the continuing mission of the Church.  1) Like our Lord, we should manifest compassion for the basic physical needs of human beings, such as hunger. 2) Christian concern for both physical and spiritual needs is universal. That is, compassion extends to all people. Although compassion is most often expressed in our everyday human contacts, it must extend to anyone that we meet who has a physical or spiritual need.

3) This compassion for human hunger also has spiritual dimensions. Indeed, while it may be less obvious, spiritual hunger is a deeper need. Human beings are designed for fellowship with God. Even when people are not aware of its existence, there is a spiritual hunger in every soul which can only be supplied by Jesus Christ. As Christians, we are all called to point others to Christ who continues to nourish human souls through His Word and His Sacraments.

Trinity VII- Hungering for Righteousness- Mark 8:1-9

The Gospel for this Sunday from St. Mark 8:1-9 is one of several gospel accounts about Jesus feeding the thousands who came to hear Him (in this case, 4000 people). One can see several points in the account- Christ's miraculous power, His compassion for those in need, and the somewhat ambiguous response of His disciples. However, in re-reading the story this week, I was struck by another point: the identity of the people who received His miraculous act of compassion.

Without a doubt, the compassion of our Lord extends in some ways to all people. He surely cares for all hungry people. But in this instance, the physically hungry are not random human creatures. They are people who have followed Jesus out into the countryside and listened to His teachings for three days. They are physically hungry because in the words of the Sermon on the Mount, they "hunger and thirst after righteousness" (Matthew 5:6). So here we see Christ's special mercy that nourishes those who seek to follow Him.

Lent IV- Spiritual Nourishment- John 6:1-14

The Gospel for Lent IV from St. John 6:1-14 is one of the four accounts of the miraculous Feeding of Five Thousand found in the gospels. These accounts have several themes. First, there is the general truth that Christ has power over natural elements. Secondly, the miracle manifests Christ's concern for human need, especially need among those who hear Him and hunger for righteousness. Thirdly, especially in St. John's presentation, there are Messianic references. Jesus goes to a mountain like Moses, He provides food in the wilderness as Moses did, and at the end, the people acknowledge Him as "that prophet that should come into the world" (John 6:14). Fourthly, there are also associations with the Lord's Supper any time Christ breaks bread with His followers, and these associations become even more explicit later in John 6.

All of these themes can be related to our Lenten preparations, but this time, let us highlight the theme of spiritual nourishment. One great purpose of Lent is for us to seek renewed nourishment for our souls. During this season, we journey with Christ toward the cross, the tomb, and resurrection. And such a journey demands spiritual sustenance. Ordinarily, Christians feed their souls in three main ways: through reading/hearing the words of Scripture, through a regular prayer life (morning, evening, and other times), and through the appropriate Sacraments.

During Lent as in other seasons, we are called to "inwardly digest" the Scriptures. We seek to allow Biblical stories, teachings, and ideas to permeate our hearts, minds, and souls. Private and common prayer should also be a constant element in Christian life, and Lent is a good time for additional or special devotions.  Then we have the visible, tangible expressions of the living Word in the Sacraments. We have received the gift of Baptism, and in our devotions, we should renew our Baptismal commitments daily. And of course, there is the Lord's Supper or Eucharist. Christ offers to nourish and refresh our souls in a unique way in Holy Communion.  So as we pursue our Lenten disciplines, let us seek increased spiritual nourishment by being more open to Christ as He comes to us through Word, prayer, and Sacrament.